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Very often the guilt of sexual abuse is transferred to the child by the abuser. The child is told that he or she has a 'secret' and mustn't tell anyone about the abuse. Afterwards the child naturally feels dirty and shameful despite the fact that the child is innocent and the abuser the guilty party. Unless the abuse is discovered, the abuser punished and the child undergoes a healing process (either through counselling, psychotherapy or similar treatment) they can harbour this guilt right through their life, even into late adulthood. Occasionally the abused child's guilt ends up as depression, as the body and mind's way of coping with the untreated 'shame' of abuse. If the depression takes hold, and is severe enough, thoughts of suicide can result. .

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16y ago

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